Mr Chairman

[bungle]

as stated it takes a good manager (in Sc***horpe's case - 2 good managers, as it was Brian Laws that actually kicked off the success) to do so.

I think any criticism of Cardoza should focus on precisely this: his managerial appointments. I think in other areas such as youth development, selling players for a profit (Bunn, Johnson, Gypes, Chambers etc) and general financial stability, we have actually made some progress during his reign. If you doubt that, think back to times when players like Lee Colkin or Andy Morrow were the best youth team products, when we let players like Steve Howard go for peanuts and when we were perpetually teetering on the brink of adminstration and bucket collections - things have got a bit better since then.

However, if you look at his managerial appointments, Fenwick, Wilkinson, Calderwood, Gorman, and Gray you'd really have to say only Calderwood has been a qualified success, and even he took three seasons to win promotion from the basement, something Kevin Wilson and Kevin Broadhurst managed first time. People have been very kind to Sammo so far, but he has shown worrying signs of tactical naivety and lack of nous/contacts in the transfer market. Time will tell if he can buck the trend and become Cardoza's first genuinely succesful managerial appointment - because that's what will make the difference between becoming the next Lincoln City or the next Sc***horpe.

[Vintage Cobbler]

As DC has learned running a football club as a business by at least balancing the books is no easy task.  I think we have cut back to the bare minmum and if we are ever to go forward in financial or footballing terms we must get out of this division.  Staying in League 2 means not just stagnation but further decline. Only with a winning team on the pitch will the crowds begin to grow and that has to mean improving the current squad, especially the strikers, McKay excepted.  Inevitably, this costs money whether in transfer fees, signing on fees or wages.  Sammo for whatever reason has failed in his attempts so far to find the striker he needs and the need is even greater now that Purcell is out for the season.  A great win at Reading and some outstanding individual performances that night has papered over the cracks that were apparent against Torquay, Accrington and Wycombe.  I can see DC's dilemma and I have some sympathy but funds have to be made available.  It was very disappointing that the transfer window closed with no improvement to the squad.  The club's customer base is in decline and that as DC will know has to be arrested.  DC knows what it takes, more money.  I am afraid with no prospect of any redevelopment of Sixfields in the foreseeable future it is highly unlikely there is a "White Knight" out there for us to provide a fresh injection of signifcant capital.  The notion that the Trust could run the club and that this would somehow be an improvement on the present ownership I find laughable.  

[MCHammer]

That says it all really, MC.  Resort to insult when you've run out of argument.  As I have repeatedly said, you cannot have it both ways: on the one hand you applaud Cardoza for running the club on financially sound, break even principles, now all of a sudden you change tack and start arguing that DC is covering losses.  What's it to be?  Are we breaking even (or even making a small profit) or are we losing money?  I suspect in a perverse way you're right: the sh*t we're in is deeper than being admitted to, season ticket sales and commercial income lower than anticipated, a core support of 3500 rather than 4000 (per budget), and QED the club is losing money.  I did not anywhere say that the playing budget would be bigger if the club was run by the Trust.  Let me repeat, if DC's position and those who defend him is correct, i.e. that the club is on an ordinary operating basis running at break even and in accordance with budget, then cup runs are windfalls and exactly that; IF the Trust or anyone else for that matter was running the club, those windfall funds might be invested in a new player, a new chip fryer for the West Stand or a new disabled lift, but reinvested they would be, or used to cover a deeper than expected shortfall.  The limited disclosure rules that govern a company like NTFC make it difficult to get a clear picture of the accounts, but you ask the actual evidence of where it (the windfall) is going.  I suggest you pose that as an open question, which can only really be revealed by understanding the balance sheet; or more specifically, what has been the DC loan at the end of each accounting period?  I rather suspect that therein lies the answer.

It's not about having it both ways.  You've even answered the question yourself.  You can run a business on break even principles but events can occur during periods of time that affect your ability to achieve that.  The comfort for us is that despite what may happen we know if we do make a loss it's covered and all bills get paid.

My point about the evdience of where the windfalls go is you seem happy to imply certain things are happening without ever going as far as providing evidence or making the direct accusation.  If it's true you are in no danger of actually stating it.  If you can't prove it then you and others should stop repeating the insinuations.

[MCHammer]

Ok Tel, when was it more stable?

[SteveRiches]

As DC has learned running a football club as a business by at least balancing the books is no easy task.  I think we have cut back to the bare minmum and if we are ever to go forward in financial or footballing terms we must get out of this division.  Staying in League 2 means not just stagnation but further decline. Only with a winning team on the pitch will the crowds begin to grow and that has to mean improving the current squad, especially the strikers, McKay excepted.  Inevitably, this costs money whether in transfer fees, signing on fees or wages.  Sammo for whatever reason has failed in his attempts so far to find the striker he needs and the need is even greater now that Purcell is out for the season.  A great win at Reading and some outstanding individual performances that night has papered over the cracks that were apparent against Torquay, Accrington and Wycombe.  I can see DC's dilemma and I have some sympathy but funds have to be made available.  It was very disappointing that the transfer window closed with no improvement to the squad.  The club's customer base is in decline and that as DC will know has to be arrested.  DC knows what it takes, more money.  I am afraid with no prospect of any redevelopment of Sixfields in the foreseeable future it is highly unlikely there is a "White Knight" out there for us to provide a fresh injection of signifcant capital.  The notion that the Trust could run the club and that this would somehow be an improvement on the present ownership I find laughable.


Well said! I am a big supporter of the Trust, but given the lack of help (and unfair sniping) they get from many fans there's no way they'd want to try running the club from top to bottom...it may work at Barcelona, but it won't here! I think the Trust does a good job of liaison between fans and club, and in fund-raising, and also does some good work running the open forums.
As to the economics and criticism of the chairman, I agree that he has no easy task, and personally I feel he's doing well with it.
However, I go along with you that we've GOT to spend a decent sum on a striker, if for no other reason that if we don't we shall lose tens of thousands of pounds more than he'd cost by not doing so. This point has been a running failure at the club...if we'd addressed it earlier, we'd still be in League One. 

[Vintage Cobbler]

SteveR - I trace the decline in recent years back to the time we failed to sign Simon Cox or someone of similar ability.  Swindon sold him on at a significant profit and reinvested some of that profit in adequate replacements, good enough to reach the play-offs last season.  A precedent we have not followed to our great cost.

[Tyler]

Cox didnt want to sign

[Vintage Cobbler]

Read the post .........."or someone of similar ability"!!!

[jimmys cobbler]

Walsall and crewe are two further examples of clubs that have punched well above their weight and not broken the bank in doing so. I,m not going down the doom and gloom road but lets face it, after anfield this season will be a fight against relegation and nothing more, finances and injuries have seen to that. What WILL happen i,m convinced is that some of the gems we have coming through our youth set up will give us a bright future, and by that i,m not talking next season, but maybe four or five years hence. Thats asking a lot of our supporters but thats the reality of our position

[Monty]

I'm unleashing unfounded rumours/opinions, with zero evidence to substantiate them...

Source?

[dodger]

Source?

His arsehole

[606 Parklands_Cobbler]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/crewe_alexandra/8715896.stm

Hope Cardoza sees this and have a think